KR-102963005-B1 - Apparatus and method for laser etching

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laser etching apparatus and method for forming a pattern on a ceramic sintered body or a pre-sintered body of a prosthesis. A laser etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a laser emitting unit that generates a laser beam, a laser scan head that controls or moves the direction of the laser beam generated by the laser emitting unit, and a tray on which the ceramic block is mounted and whose position or angle can be changed.

Inventors

• 임흥빈
• 주형진
• 임현수

Assignees

• 주식회사 세라믹테크놀로지

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20250131

Priority Date

20240326

Claims (12)

1. A tray equipped with a zirconia ceramic block for artificial teeth; A laser emitting unit that generates a laser beam; and It includes a laser scan head that controls or moves the direction of a laser beam generated from the laser emitting unit and irradiates the zirconia ceramic block several times along a pattern to form an adhesive pattern on the zirconia ceramic block. The above zirconia ceramic block is a pre-sintered body processed into the shape of a patient-customized prosthesis and before being sintered under a predetermined temperature condition, and The above adhesive pattern is formed on the adhesive surface (the surface bonded to the tooth) of the zirconia ceramic block, and A laser etching device in which the adhesive pattern is a straight line pattern or a grid pattern.
2. In Article 1, A laser etching device further comprising a control module for rotating or moving the above tray.
3. In Article 2, The above-described control module is a laser etching device that rotates or moves the tray so that the laser beam is irradiated in an angle range of 10 to 90 degrees relative to the adhesive interface of the zirconia ceramic block.
4. In Article 1, The above laser emitting part is a laser etching device in which the laser light output is controlled so that the laser etching depth is formed within the range of 10 nm to 2 mm.
5. In Article 1, The laser emitting part is a laser etching device comprising any one of a fiber laser, a UV laser, a femtosecond laser, a nanosecond laser, and a picosecond laser.
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7. A milling step of processing a zirconia ceramic block into a patient-specific prosthesis shape using a milling device; A laser etching step of etching and forming a predetermined adhesive pattern on the zirconia ceramic block processed by the milling device using a laser etching device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and A method for manufacturing a prosthesis comprising a sintering step of sintering the zirconia ceramic block formed in the adhesive pattern at a predetermined temperature condition.
8. In Article 7, A method for manufacturing a prosthesis that further includes a laser etching step to improve adhesion stability with a staining solution for creating color and a glazing solution for creating gloss on the above-mentioned zirconia ceramic block.
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Description

Apparatus and method for laser etching The present invention relates to a laser etching apparatus and method for forming a pattern on a ceramic material, and more specifically, to a laser etching apparatus and method for forming a pattern on a ceramic sintered body or a pre-sintered body of a prosthesis used to restore the function and aesthetics of a tooth. Generally, prosthetics are used to protect teeth damaged by caries or accidents and to restore their function. These prosthetics can be made of ceramic materials, particularly zirconia. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the manufacturing process of a general zirconia ceramic prosthesis. Referring to Figure 1, the prosthesis manufacturing process can be divided into (i) a patient model scan design model input step, (ii) a processing step in which a disc-shaped block from the pre-sintered body step is processed using CAD/CAM to form a model shape, (iii) a sintering step in which the pre-sintered zirconia workpiece is finally sintered, (iv) a glazing and staining step in which the prosthesis is treated to look similar to the color and surface gloss of a natural tooth, and (v) a bonding step in which the prosthesis is bonded to a flap (Prep; a tooth that has been prepared in advance to match the shape of the prosthesis) using adhesive cement. On the other hand, if the bonding strength between the prosthesis and the adhesive cement is weak, the prosthesis may frequently detach after the procedure. This problem not only causes psychological discomfort to the patient but also reduces the effectiveness of the treatment and leads to the need for re-treatment. Conventional zirconia prostheses have low bonding strength with adhesive resin due to zirconia's corrosion resistance and high surface roughness. In particular, compared to glass/resin-based prostheses, the adhesive strength is low, which presents a limitation that makes it difficult to apply to anterior laminates. As a means to improve the adhesion of zirconia prostheses, conventional methods have been proposed to increase the adhesion area by sandblasting the adhesion surface or performing silica coating or hydrofluoric acid etching. Meanwhile, such procedures can cause cracks or fractures in the sintered tooth, and physical impacts generated during the sandblasting or coating process can damage the sintered body. This can significantly reduce the durability or lifespan of the prosthesis. Additionally, due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between ceramic and cement, there is a possibility that the adhesive strength of the bonding surface created by sandblasting may gradually weaken. Consequently, the stability of the ceramic bonding interface formed by sandblasting may be compromised. Furthermore, for CAD/CAM-fabricated zirconia prostheses to be used stably after restoration, the flap tooth must be accurately fitted. However, due to (i) overmilling of the CAD/CAM equipment to reduce interference with the flap tooth, (ii) dimensional deformation caused by shrinkage rate errors in the ceramic disc block, (iii) dimensional errors due to size limitations of the CAD/CAM processing tool, and (iv) scanning data errors, the fitting of the inner surface of the prosthesis is inaccurate, which may lead to crown breakage due to empty spaces or detachment due to reduced adhesion. In particular, if detachment occurs at the interface due to a decrease in adhesive strength, additional caries or damage to the tooth may result. To prevent this phenomenon, the application of a process to enhance the adhesive strength of the ceramic block's adhesive interface is required. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the manufacturing process of a typical zirconia ceramic prosthesis. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a laser etching apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a laser etching apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a laser etching apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a milling device integrally equipped with a laser etching device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an internal structural diagram of a laser etching apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the laser etching apparatus of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a partial structural diagram of the laser etching device of Figure 6. Figure 9 is a block diagram of the laser etching apparatus of Figure 6. Figure 10 is an example of the operation of the laser etching device of Figure 6. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a laser etching method according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a laser etching method according to the 6th embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a drawing of a continuous pattern according to one example formed by the laser etching